Comparing performances of a triangular embankment and a rigid wall-type barrier in sandstorms using simulation and a wind tunnel test.

Abstract

The movement of sand particles and their accumulation on railway tracks are among the major problems observed in desert areas, which may impose huge maintenance and repair costs. One solution is to create a protective barrier in the vicinity of railway tracks to reduce sand deposition on these tracks. The present study introduced a triangular embankment due to its construction simplicity and low cost and compared it with a rigid wall-type barrier. At first, both models were compared in terms of the streamline and the sand mass flux with a two-phase flow of sandstorm numerical calculations. Then, the sand mass flux was measured for the rigid wall-type barrier using an experimental wind tunnel test. Moreover, the effects of wind speed, wall height, the zero-porosity barrier on the mass flux profile, and the deposition reduction of sand particles were examined after the barrier placement. Finally, the triangular embankment behavior was studied in a wind tunnel. The results revealed that the triangular embankment could increase the safe area after the barrier placement by up to 25%. Further, the triangular embankment was proven to be a permanent and cost-effective solution for protecting railway tracks in windblown sand-prone areas.